I am so disappointed that blogger has lost over 2 1/2 years of my images and a lot of them were tutorials and I don't have the time nor the know- how to put them back.


I have started another Maggie Bessie to replace the tutorial of the last one and also because I miss the pink one that went away. This MB is enlarged to 24 inches and the pieces parts of the arms and legs are joined as one. The rest of the pattern remains the same.


I sewed up the legs, arms and the body. I stuffed them all halfway and sewed a line accross the point where they were seperate pieces. The body, I sewed a containing seam accross to keep the stuffing in. Then I mixed, modeling paste and gel medium (Liquidtex) half and half. I basecoated and waited 2 hours. I then applied five more thin coats after an hour or so of drying time. In the last coat I put some more gel medium to give me more time to blend the strokes. She is drying in the sun now....

I am using the same pattern from Bradly Justice that you can get here:

E-mail Address(es): shawstein@aol.com

Somehow by changing templates in blogger, I lost two years worth of pictures. I replaced my last post but I just can't deal with the rest. I have switched back to my old template but the pics haven't come back. Maybe they will, I don't know....

Maggie is ready to travel to Houston tomorrow. I made her stockings and her shoes. I altered her dress a bit. I made the sleeves longer and put pin tucks in her drawers and slip.







I made her shoes out of wool. I fused two pieces together and put a cardboard sole inside and they look good.


The stockings are out of some real stocking looking material that I picked up a long time ago. I tied some of that thin rolled elastic at her knees and rolled the stockings over it.





I am pleased with her now



If you just love this doll like I do and would like to make your own, get it here: shawstein@aol.com

I have finished the Maggies. Here they are all naked and fat.



Here they are wearing their long underwear.




Here they are in their slip...



And taa dah! all dressed with bonnet. I am making the other bonnet as we speak....

UPDATE: I have finished the clothing for the Maggies, except for the bonnets. I will make those out of buckram. The clothes are sooo cute. I really love these dolls and it will be hard to part with one but I must.
Here is the underwear:
Here are the dresses:

I sprayed them with a matt varnish and put them in the parlor to cure for a couple days before stringing them up and dressing them.

I am dying to make a bigger one. I will make a life size Maggy, I just decided that. One would think that I really like this doll wouldn't they?

For full instructions and complete pattern to make this doll, get it here: shawstein@aol.com

I have been working on two Maggies Bessie dolls. Most of you know about this antique and much desired cloth doll. It's wonderful to be able to get a pattern and make her yourself. I have been waitng months to get this pattern and finally I have it in my little piggies lol.

I have been lucky enough to hear about Bradley Justice, who has done extensive research on this doll and finally he has drafted the most authentic pattern I have seen up to date. It is exactly like the Maggie Bessie with all her pieces parts.

I have some pics to show you so far. Here they are with all their pieces parts. This doll is made very different from any other rag doll. The arms and legs are in two parts. The head and shoulders are attached in a unique way also. Here you can see that the fingers are molded. They are made in Kona peach tone cotten.

Here, one coat of gesso has been applied to the lower arms and lower legs and the head and shoulders. They are on a drying board in the sun. You can see that the toes are now molded also.


Here, they have been sanded down smooth (actully rubbed down with a very fine sanding cloth, just enough to take the grain down. ) A second coat of gesso has been applied.

I am showing the sanding cloth and the nice large brush and liquitex gesso. One must have the correct tools to work with lol.

I have put them in the sun again while I mix the flesh colors. I will give them two coats of the flesh and wait 24 hours for the acrylic to cure and then I will proceed with the painting of the face and hair. Hopefully I will get started with the dress and underwear while I wait lol. I will keep you posted of the progress.

If you make your own dolls and would like to purchase this pattern, you can order it here.

mailto:shawstein@aol.com